In this lesson, learners will discover how certain snakes (pit-vipers) can find prey using a natural infrared sensor and will extend their understandings by exploring infrared technology applications. The lesson features background information for...(View More) the teacher, pre-requisite skills and knowledge for the student, a mini-exploration of infrared image technology, multiple image sets, assessment information, student worksheets, extension and transfer activities, and additional resources. This is lesson 2 on the Infrared Zoo website.(View Less)

In this multi-day activity, students use infrared and visible images of animals and sort them into broad categories based upon the learner's own reasoning and observations of the images. Further explorations reveal that warm and cold-blooded animals...(View More) can be identified and characterized using infrared images. The lesson features background information for the teacher, pre-requisite skills and knowledge for the student, a mini-exploration of Infrared Image Technology, multiple image sets, assessment information, student worksheets, extension and transfer activities, and additional resources. This is lesson 1 on the Infrared Zoo website.(View Less)

This collection of activities presents learners with intriguing questions about the universe and provides an opportunity to explore topics related to the search for life beyond our own planet. The collection includes eight existing classroom...(View More) activities that have been adapted for after school school settings. Each activity can be completed in one hour, however some activities require advance preparation. The activities also require materials that may need to be gathered by the instructor. However, these include commonly available supplies. The activities in this collection are targeted for 5-12 year olds. Separate instructions for the different age groups are provided as appropriate.(View Less)

This lesson is comprised of three parts grouped to enable student understanding of classifying organisms. In part one of the lesson, students classify imaginary organisms represented by a mix of breakfast cereals, candies, nuts, raisins, etc....(View More) according to similar characteristics. Students use a flow chart to show the characteristics by which they divided the imaginary organisms into groups. In part two, students classify a series of single-celled organisms using a dichotomous key. In part 3, students apply skills acquired from the previous activities to create a dichotomous key for their specimens from the first activity. These activities are part of an astrobiology guide called the "Fingerprints of Life" which contains background information for the student, worksheets, extension activities, suggested assessments, and alignment to standards.(View Less)

Size and shape are important in astrobiology. In this activity and slideshow, students observe the importance of relative size and morphology in identifying microscopic structures when viewed with the scanning electron microscope. This activity is...(View More) part of an astrobiology guide called the "Fingerprints of Life" which contains background information for students, worksheets, extension activities, suggested assessments, and alignment to standards.(View Less)

This series of six activities encourages students to think about the characteristics of life and the possibility of looking for life on Mars. The first three activities from Destination: Mars establish the criteria for recognizing life. The other...(View More) activities use the criteria for more advanced investigations. These activities are part of an astrobiology guide called the "Fingerprints of Life" which contains background information for students, worksheets, extension activities, suggested assessments, and alignment to standards.(View Less)

In this activity, students develop a timeline relating technological advances, particularly in microscopy, to how scientists have classified living organisms throughout history. Students use Internet and/or library resources to investigate important...(View More) discoveries in biology, and their links to these technological advances. The timeline will range from Aristotle's two-kingdom system of classification, to the system of using three domains of life, which is currently favored by a number of scientists. This activity is part of an astrobiology guide called the "Fingerprints of Life" which contains background information for students, worksheets, extension activities, suggested assessments, and alignment to standards.(View Less)

In this activity, students will observe the relationship between temperature and metabolism. The subjects for this experiment are Saccharomyces cerevisiae, one-celled organisms more commonly known as baker's yeast. By observing the presence of...(View More) carbon dioxide gas generated by the yeast, learners will be able to make inferences about metabolism. This activity is part of an astrobiology guide called the Fingerprints of Life which contains background information for the student, worksheets, extensions, assessment suggestions and standards.(View Less)